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A brand-new carnivorous plant and art exhibit, Mutation Invasion: Flesh-eating Flora, will open this Friday, Sept. 13, and continue through Halloween, Thursday, Oct. 31 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo.
This is the first time that a carnivorous plant exhibit has taken place at the Botanical Gardens, and it features hundreds of carnivorous plants including Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, sundews and more.
The theme of carnivorous plants continues with sculptures and an adventurous comic created by local artists.
Mutation Invasion: Flesh-eating Flora will be open daily starting Friday, Sept. 13 through Thursday, Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The exhibit is included with regular admission. Tickets are $16.50 for adults, $15 for seniors (62+) and students (13+), $9 for kids aged 3-12, and free for kids and Botanical Gardens members (but they must have a ticket).
Sculptures & comics
Follow the large posters to see the comic strip created by Buffalo artist Nate Phillips: Mutation Invasion: Flesh-eating Flora. It tells the story of how the Botanical Gardens’ carnivorous plants were mutated into even bigger and scarier flesh-eating plants that put the horticulturists at risk. They must band together with an army of pollinators to save the day.
The exhibit also includes more than a dozen larger-than-life sculptures created by local artist Melanie Fisher. There will be sculptures of large-scale pitcher plants, flytraps in several sizes and many other alien-like creatures.
Corpse plants
Adding to the creepy theme of the exhibit are two corpse plants, named Wednesday and Pugsley, that are part of the Botanical Gardens’ family of corpse plants. These plants have just begun to grow. Stop in to see if they are growing into leaves or stinky flowers.
Halloween season
The exhibit will be a family-friendly environment with spooky surprises and educational opportunities.
Families can enjoy a BOOtanical Costume Party from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. Visitors are asked to put on their best costumes and enjoy the carnivorous plant exhibit, go on a spooky scavenger hunt, take frightening family photos, and enjoy ghostly games and activities. The BOOtanical Costume Party is included with regular admission.
A brand-new Cosplay Photography Night for adults will be held from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27. Cosplayers and photographers are invited to join forces to create photography magic. There will be opportunities to take both daytime photos and evening photos, with special lighting effects at night. Tickets are $30 per person and guests must be 21+ to attend.